Method or process of distillation of material carrying a percentage of volatile matter



G. McD. JOHNS.

METHOD ORPROCESS 0F DISTIL'LATION 0F MATERIAL CARRYING A PERCENTAGE OF VOLATILE MATTER.

APPLICATION EILETJJULY16,1920.

Patented July 25, 1922.

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GEORGEMQD. JOHNS, or en. route, rarssoum, assreuon, an ransnn assrennsn-rs,

"no use rnnusrnran raocnss nnemennme company, a conroaarion or nun-a- WARE.

' ran'ruon on success or DISTILLA'HON or ina'rnniat meannea rancnn'raea or VOMTILE MATTER.

Application filed; an is,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, GEORGE MOD. JOHNS, a citizen of the United States residing at the city of St. Louis, State of issouri, have invented a certain new and useful Method or Process of Distillation of Material Carrying a Percentage of Volatile Matter, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawin forming a part hereof;

lily invention relates to a new and useful method or process that is particularly adapted for the distillation of oil-shale, lignite, peat, cannel coal, and bituminous coal, or any material carrying a percentage of valuable volatile matter which can be thrown or driven off under heat and later condensed by any suitable means or method.

The principal object of my present invention is to provide a method or process of socalled destructive distillation of such materials as those referred to whereby the volatile content thereof may be economically, facilely, continuously, and substantially completely driven off and later recovered for utilization; and, to that end, ll may state that l have discovered, and my present invention resides largely in the discovery, that destructive distillation of such materials as, for instance, those above mentioned, to gain the volatile content thereof, may be most economically, efficiently, thoroughly, and completely accomplished by passing or feeding such materials when in a finely divided or pulverized condition and in a layer of substantially uniform thickness over and upon a heated plane.

With the foregoing and-other objects in view, my invention resides further in carrying out or practicing the hereinafter described steps, and, for the purpose of clearly setting forth my improved method, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing a vertical section taken lengthwise through the center of a relatively simple and practical retort and apparatus which may be utilized in practicin my method in the distillation of materia s such as oil-shale, lignite, eat, bituminous coal, and the like.

Re erring now by numerals to said drawing, 10 designates a furnace that may he fired with any suitable fuel and positioned in a plane above said furnace is the elon- Speciflcation of Letters Patent. Patented July 25, 1922,

1920. Serial No. 896,887.

gated body 11 of a retort. It is known that pulverized material when placed upon a smooth surface having a certain incline will sufficiently resist. the pull of gravity to remain stationary; such incline or angle is commonly known as the angle of repose. When upon such incline, however, but a slight push or pressure will. overcome the normal repose of the material to move or feed same downward on the inclining surface. Utilizing this principle, the retortbody here shown is inclined to an angle approximately ten to fifteen degrees (the approximate angle of repose 0f finely pulverized oil-bearing shale) with respect to a horizontal plane, with the lower end of the body of the retort positioned directly over the furnace 10.

I have also discovered, and my invention further resides in the discovery, that the condensed product of distillation obtained or gained from some of the materials mentioned is frequently injuriously affected by subjecting the material under treatment, especially when the same is in a finely pulverized condition, to too great or excessive heat in the beginning of the process of distillation; to, therefore, obviate any injurious effect upon such product which might result from a sudden subjection of the material under treatment to too great or excessive heat, I first subject the material under treatment to heat in what I term 'a low-heat chamber and then, in finishing the process. subject the material under treatment to heat in what ll term a high-heat chamber.

Accordingly the space within the body of the retort is divided longitudinally into a high-temperature or high-heat chamber 12, that is disposed immediately above furnace l0, and a low-temperature or low-heat chainber 13 disposed in the upper rear portion of the body of the retort and to the rear of the furnace and above a passageway or fine 14 which leads through the retort from the upper portion of the furnace-chamber to a stack 15 that in turn leads outwardly from the upper rear end of the retort body.

The bottoms 16 of the chambers 12 and 13 provide an inclined plane or plate over which the material under treatment is readily moved, with a minimum of iower, through the retort; and arranged or re Hill - eiprocatory movement immediately above thisinclined plane or plate is a longitudi-.

thereupon, but to also retardint ly check the h 1 same to maintain a substantially continuous relatively thin bed or layer thereof of sub stantially uniform depth or thickness during the treatment or distillation. This re-.

ciprocating carrier 17 can be operated in any suitable manner, either by means of a power-driven crank or eccentric, such as 19. Leading into the upper end of low-tempcrature chamber 13, is a chute 20,- through which the material to be treated is delivered into the retort, and in order to produce the best results this material should be reduced to a finely divided or pulverized condition. Leading downwardly from the lower end of high-temperature chamber 12 is an outlet 21 for the spent material that leaves the retort, and the lower end of this outlet terminates in the lower portion of a tank or container 22 that is adapted to contain water.

Leading from the upper portions of the chambers 12 and 13 are outletpipes 24, which communicate with a common pipe 25, and the latter leads to a suitable condenser 26.

- ln practicing my improved ,method, and having reference to the apparatus shown and described, the material to be treated is first suitably broken up into a finely divided or pulverizedcondition. The degree of fineness orpulverization.I may say, is preferably such that as soon as the distilhngheat begins to a drive oil the volatile gases or content of the material under treatment the material will begin to lose its normal angle of repose and, under the continued action of the heat. become fluit'y or. as I may say, fiowable, or having a mobility somewhat resembling the mobility of mercury or lava. I might add that I have found such condition to arise when the degree of fineness or pulverization is such that approximately fifty per cent of the material being treated will pass through a sieve of one hundred mesh; The material in such condition is readily, quicklv, and thoroughly acted upon by the heat. with the result that substantially complete distillation is effected. The material. in suchpulverized condition, is delivered through chute 20 into the upper end of low-temperatnre chamber 13, and as carrier 17. provided with the gravity plates or scrapers 1H, slowly reciprocates. the powdered or pulverized material'will be slowly, evenly, and uniformly fed forwardly and downwardly over the inclined substantially continuous bottoms 10 of communicating chambers 12 and 13. Furnace 10 is heated to a relatively high degree, and as chamber 12 is positioned immediately above the furnace, its flat bottom will be correspondingly heated to a highdegree, while chamber 13 that is locatedto the rear of furnace 10 and the flat bottom of chamber 12 will be heated to a relatively lower temperature than that developed within chamber 12. Thus the material under treatment, on passing over the bottom of and through low-temperature chamber 13, will be heated to a certain degree, and any volatile matter that is driven from said material by the heat within chamber 13 will pass outwardly through the outlet pipe 24 leading from chamber 13 and Will pass from said outlet through pipe 25 to condenser 26. The material thus pre-heated and partially reduced in low-temperature chamber 13 will-pass into and through high-temperature chamber 12, wherein practically all of the volatile matter will be driven out of said material, and this volatile matter in gaseous form will leave chamber 12 through its outlet 21 "and pass from the latter also through pipe 25 to condenser 26.

The spent material will discharge from the lower end of the retortthrough outlet pipe 21 and will discharge from the lower end of the latter into tank or container 22, the same being filled with water to sucha depth as to close or seal thelower end of discharge pipe and consequently preventing the escape of any volatile matter through the discharge pipe 21.

Thus it will be seen that my new method or process of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials containing volatile matter may be practiced with a relatively simple apparatus that may be operated with minimum power. The close interrelation and contactmovement of the carrier. to check and thereby preventa too rapid flow of the material through the retort when in its described flowable condition. The process is itself relatively simple,-mayjbe carried out without the use of water or steam, and can be advantageously and economically, without appreciable waste of 'heat, employed for the dry and substantially complete distillation of any material bearing valuable volatile or gaseous matter and which latter is capable of being condensed into a marketable or usable product.

but the blades serve also, and on the rearward stroke or- Master Obviously, other forms of apparatus can be utilized for practicing my improved method. and, therefore, no claim is made to the specific form of apparatus herein illus trated and described. i

Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is: V

a 1. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises feeding the material in a pulverized condition and in a continuous layer of substantially uniform thickness over and upon a stationary heated inclined plane.

2. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises feeding the material" forwardly in a pulverized condition and at a substantially uniform speed and in a continuous layer of substantially uniform thickness over and upon a stationary heated inclined plane.

3. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises feeding the -material forwardly by reciprocatory means in a pulverized condition and at a substantially uniform speed and in a substantially continuous layer of substantially uniform depth over and upon a stationary heated inclined plane.

4. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises feeding the material forwardly in a pulverized condition and at a substantially uniform speed and in a continuous layer of substantially uniform depth over and upon a stationary heated inclined plane, the degree of pulverization of said material when so fed being such that as soon as the distilling heat begins to drive off the volatile gases, the material will begin to lose its normal angle of repose and become fluffy or flowable.

5. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises pulverizing the material to be treated to such a degree of fineness that fifty percent thereof will pass through a one hundred mesh sieve,

, and then by reciprocator means feeding the so pulverized material orwardly at a substantially uniform speed and in a. continuous layer of substantially uniform depth over a heated inclined plane. I y

6. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises delivering the material to be treated in pulverized form into a retort comprising a chamber having a stationary heated inclined plane substantially continuous bottom, then by reciprocatory means moving said material evenly and uniformly and'in a substantially continuous layer of substantially uniform ciprocatory means moving said material evenly and uniformly and in a substantially continuous layer of substantially uniform thickness forwardly over the heated plane. bottoms of said chambers, andsimultaneously drawing off from said chambers the volatile matter that is driven fro-m said material by the heat of said bottoms.

8. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises delivering the material in pulverized form into the upper end of a retort having a plurality of communicating chambers having stationary heated inclined plane substantially continuous bottoms disposed longitudinally end to end, then by reciprocatory means moving said material evenly and uniformly and 'in a substantially continuous layer of substantially uniform thickness forwardly over the heated plane bottoms of said chambers, simultaneously drawing off from said chambers the volatile matter that is driven from said material by the heat of said bottoms,

and then condensing said volatile matter.

9. The method of distilling oil-bearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises delivering the material in pulverized form into the upper end of a retort having a plurality of communicating chambers having stationary inclined plane substantially continuous bottoms disposed longitudinally end to end,

heating the bottoms of said chambers to different degrees of temperature, then by reciprocatory means moving said material evenly and uniformly and in a substantially continuous layer of substantially uniform thickness forwardly over the so heated plane bottoms of said chambers, simultaneously drawing off from said chambers the volatile 'matter that is driven from said material by the heat of said bottoms, and then condensing said volatile matter.

10. The method of distilling oilbearing shale and other materials to obtain the volatile content thereof which comprises delivering the material in finely pulverized form into the upper end of a retort com rising a chamber havin a stati nary heate inclined plane substantially continuous bottom, then by reciprocating means feedingsaid material said chamber. the volatile matter that is evenly and uniformly and in a layenwithdriven from said material by the heat of out spaces or breaks and of substantially said bottom. Y uniform, but relatively to the height of said In witness whereof,- I have signed my 5 chamber, shallow, depth forwardly over the name to this specification.

heated lane inclined bottom of saidchamber, ans simultaneously drawing ofi from. GEORGE MOD. JOHNS. 

